Coupon-register.



M. J. HOFFMAN.

'GOUPON REGISTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1914.

PatentedDec, 1, 1914.

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COUPON REGISTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1914.

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Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

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OOUPtON-BEGISTER.

specification of Letters meant.

Patented D$a 1, 1.91%

Application filed May at, 1914. deflal at. states.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, Moms J. HOFFMAN, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook,and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Coupon-Registers, of which the following is declared to be a full,clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to coupon registers and has for its primaryobject toprovide a simple form of register for indicating the amount ofwork done by employees in various linespi industry.

The present register has been particularly designed for use in thetailoring industry, where a large number of operatives are employed toperform labor upon each garment,

each operative doing certain work on a garment and receiving therefor asstipulated amount. One method of keeping record of the work done is toprovide a coupon ticket with each garment, one coupon being intended foreach operative and hearin nating that person, and eac operative tearsofi and retains the coupon intended for him, after he has completed hiswork upon the garment, and at the close of the day or otherpredetermined time presents the coupons to a timekeeper and receivescredit therefor. In many establishments 50,600 or more coupons are thushandled daily and it is an irksome, and tedious task to count thecoupons and frequently errors creep in so that the operatives are paidmore than they should receive and sometimes less, thus causing frictionand annoyance. With my present invention the coupons are registered oraccounted for the moment they are placed in the register so that therecan be no mistake and all of said dificulties are wholly avoided. 1' I IThe invention is clearly illustrated in the drawings accompanying thisspecification, in which Figure 1 is a erspective view of a pair ofregisters embo ying the preferred form of the invention; Fig. 2 is across section taken through one of the re 'st/ers seen in Fig. 1; Fig. 3is a fragments longitudinal section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig.at is a iragniental face view of a coupon ticket used in connection withthe register; Fig. 5 is a side view of a cancelin' rollerwhich may heused in connection wit the register; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of amodified formant register; Fig. "F is a cross section taken through theregister seen in Fig. 6; and Figing the numeral. a mark desig- 8 is aperspective view of a fragment of the register seen in Fig. .6.

Referring to said drawings, the first Figs. 1 to 1, inclusive, A, A,designate two of the registers embodying the preferred form of theinvention, and as shown each comprises a box 10, having a bottom 11, top12, sides 13, and ends 14. Preferably, the sides 13, are slotted toprovide large central openings 15, thereim'and said sides convergetoward each other from top to bottom, for reasons that will appear lateron. The top 12, of the register is provided with narrow openings 16,extending transversely across the top and preferably arranged inseriesor groups or ten openings each, separated by space bars 17. If desiredthe groups or series of openings may he arranged in a plurality of rowsas shown in Fig. 1 and at the end of each series is adesignating numeralor number indicating the nuroher of openings preced- For convenience Ihave shown openings in each row and two rows in each register, making atotal of openings. In cases where an operative per forms work upon morethan 100 garments a day, two or more registers may be used and ifdesired they may be secured together, as

for instance, by solder 18, or in any other convenient manner.

The tickets 19, (see Fig. 4) are usually in the form of long strips ofcard hoard scored transversely to rovide coupons 20, each hearin theidentification number of the garment 1 indicated at 21) and also theidentification numhers oi the persons operating upon saidgarment, asindicated at22. The first person to work upon'the garment and whoseidentification number may he No. 1, tears off coupon No. 1 and insertsit in the first opening of the register allotted to him, and the secondoperative does likewise. Each operative does the same with respect toali of the garments upon which he performs any work, and if anyoperative does any additional or other work for which there is an extra--charge, he may use two registers, placing in one the coupons forordinary work, and in the other, the coupons for the other grades ofwork. At the end of the day the registers are given over to thetimekeeper, who, may at a glance observe the total niunhcr of couponscontained in the register. and thus give the operative credit therefor.It is to he noted that the coupons project heyond the openings so thatany authcnaed person. for instance the till ice

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keeper, may, by running his finger over the upper edges ofthe coupon,bendthem over and observe each one so as to detect any spurious ones incase they have been inserted in the register.

A roller B (see Fig. 5) may be used at the close of the day forcanceling the coupons by running the same over them, while held: in theregister. This roller may be used in connection with an ink pad or mayhave sharp points thereon for perforating the coupons.

Preferably the register thus far described is made of sheet metal andthe openings are formed by slitting and punching the metal inwardly toform slots, and this leaves sharp edges at the lower sides of the slots,which act in a measure to prevent the coupons from accidentally fallingout of the register. By providing the box with the downwardly con-.verging sides 13, the lower ends of the coupons of one row overlap theloner ends of the coupons of the other row as seen in Fig. 2 and in ameasure prevent the coupons from falling out of the register. The largeopenings in the sides of the register provide entrances to the interiorthereof whereby a person may observe the lower ends of the coupons inthe register and also may insert a pencil or other object to remove anythat may have fallen into the hollow of the box;

In the form shown in Figs. 6 to 8, inclusive, the slots or openings 16,are provided upon thin, flat, card-board backs or other pieces ofsuitable material hingedly secured together at E3, in the manner ofordinary boolr covers, whereby the two portipns may be folded andsecured together or laid out flat. In this case transparent strips 24are employed to form pockets for the reception ot the coupons 20, andsaid transparent strips may comprise celluloid strips orthe like and arestitched to the back piece or cover along longitudinal lines 25, andalso along transverse lines 26, the edge 16 of each strip overlying thestitched edge 25 of the strip below. The pockets are designated bynumbers running in regular numerical progressions from 1 and up-- ward,and with this form of register the operative inserts the coupons in thepockets,

beginning at the pocket designated. as No. i. In each case the numbersdesignate the pockets in the row beyond them and nearer the center ofthe device, so that when the first coupon is inserted in the firstpocket it covers up the number appearing underneath it, the part of thecoupon in the pocket, however, being visible to view so that the entirecoupon can be seen and spurious ones detected, With this modified formthe timeheeper or other authorized person ob attache serve at a glancehow many coupons are contained in the register, because the last couponinserted and all of those inserted prior to itcover the designatingnumbers of those pockets and the next higher number will be exposed toView.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A coupon register of the character described, having' a side providedwith a plurality of slots or slits therein through which coupons,bearing indicating characters, may be inserted and temporarily retainedby the register, certain of said slots or slits having coupon indicatingnumbers printed adjacent thereto and, arranged in. numerical order orsequence, each indicating number being in position to be covered by acoupon when inserted in an adjacent slot or slit whereby the totalnumber of coupons inserted in the register may be ascertained byglancing at the last coupon inserted, and observing theexposed couponindicating-number adjacent thereto.

2. A coupon register of the character described, having a side providedwith a plu rality of coupon receiving portions for holding coupons,bearing indicating characters, said coupon receiving portions havingnumbers printed adjacent thereto for indicating the. total number ofcoupons received by the register, and each indicating number being inposition to be covered by a coupon when attached to an adjacent couponreceiving portion, whereby the total number of coupons received by theregister may be as-' certained by glancing at the last coupon. re-

" ceived and observing the adjacent exposed coupon indicating number.

3. A coupon register of the character described, comprising a couponreceiving element having a plurality of slits in one side for receivingcoupons bearing indicating characters, said slits being arranged arallelto each other, and there "being in icating number-sprinted in the spacesadjacent the slits, each number being arranged to be covered by a couponwhen inserted .in a corresponding slit, whereby the total number ofcoupons in the slits may be ascertained by glancing at the last couponinserted, and noting the exposed number at the ad acent slot.

4.. A coupon register-having a fiat side, adatped to receive and returna plurality of coupons, and a canceling roller capable of 'being rolledover said couponsfor the purpose specified.

MORRIS HOFFMAN.

Witnesses:

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